Video evidence
Lady Horsemen proving to be a power in 4A
Seeing is believing, because video can’t lie. The volleyball film sessions the St. Michael’s Lady Horsemen hold after a match are as enlightening as a coach’s advice in the middle of match. When first-year St. Michael’s head coach Valerie Sandoval breaks out the tale of the (video)tape, the Lady Horsemen often see what wasn’t so readily apparent from the court.
“We’re able to pause it, freeze frame it, see our coverage and understand this is why the ball dropped [onto the court],” Sandoval said. “We can go in slow motion and the players see it. I’m a visual person myself, and now they see what we are talking about.”
But it’s not just about seeing the flaws in a match.
“Let’s say I see myself hitting into the block,” said senior Lady Horsemen outside hitter Sierra Moya. “If I try to recover but I see my teammates covering, I know they have my back. I just need to trust them, and they’ll trust each other.”
Video also is bringing the Class 4A race into sharper focus just three weeks into the season. While many coaches in the state expected two-time defending state champion Albuquerque Sandia Prep and Las Vegas Robertson to be in the mix for the blue trophy, St. Michael’s seemed to be on the periphery of that conversation.
The transition from former head coach Josie Adams to Sandoval, plus the loss of four players to graduation that included three top hitters from last season’s state semifinal squad led to lowered expectations for the Lady Horsemen — except for themselves.
After Tuesday’s home sweep of Albuquerque Hope Christian — which St. Michael’s had not accomplished in eight years — the Lady Horsemen are 5-1 and sit atop the MaxPreps.com Freeman rankings in 4A. For the sake of full disclosure, only seven teams played enough matches to earn a ranking, which neither Sandia Prep nor Robertson have accomplished yet.
Still, St. Michael’s made some noise at last weekend’s Moriarty Invitational, beating the host Lady Pintos, a 4A semifinalist last year, and taking Portales to five games before losing in the tournament semifinals. St. Michael’s capped the weekend with a win over three-time 3A champion Texico to take third place.
“I don’t think people thought we would do as well as we did last year,” Sandoval said. “We have great chemistry on the team, and we’re improving every game, which is one of my main goals.”
Even though the Lady Horsemen lost several big hitters, they did not lack for replacements. Ellie Breeden’s spot in the middle now belongs to 6-foot-1 freshman Lily Barker and junior Mikalya Bohlman, while senior Sierra Moya continues to dominate from the outside.
A major change, though, came at setter. Sandoval asked two-time All-State performance Miquela Martinez to focus more on hitting than on setting, with junior Darian Ortiz taking her spot.
“We had a really strong rightside [hitter] and we needed someone on the left who is smart and has a great game sense,” Sandoval said. “She knows where the place the ball and she knows where to swing. She looks at the defense so she knows where to swing and how to make the defense move.”
Martinez has handled the transition well for the most part, although there were moments of frustration during the Moriarty tournament.
“I didn’t so much find myself as a hitter, but more as a teammate,” Martinez said. “In those tight games against Portales, Moriarty and Texico, we can’t break down. No matter what errors you have, you have to let them go. As a hitter and a setter, I’m in there all the time. I just need to have composure and set the tone.”
Where there is little frustration is on the defensive end. The combination of size at the net and the superb back-row play from libero Alyssa Pincheira-Sandoval (the coach’s daughter), Alycia Alvarez and Angela Griego has caused almost unending frustration for opposing teams.
“My theory is, if our defense is there, our offense will follow,” Sandoval said. “But our defense has to start everything. It starts with serve-receive and with the other teams’ hitting. If we can get our defense down, the offense is just the icing on the cake.”
The block the Lady Horsemen form at the net has been effective at slowing down hits, giving the back-row players ample time to dig those hits and setting up the offense. Moya sees Barker as a big reason for the effective block.
“Trust is a big part,” Moya said. “With Lily, I trust that she will stay and set the block where it needs to be set. Mine and Mikalya’s job is to close it and make sure we’re strong blocking.”
So far, the video shows they are doing their part.
Come November, it might help the Lady Horsemen make a deep run in the state tournament.